Enrollment
590
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tucson, AZ
Challenger Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040817001613
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #16 of 25
- middle schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- students per teacher
- 71.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Middle School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle School ranks #16 of 25 middle schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Sunnyside Unified District (4407) · Arizona
NCES ID 040817001613 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Middle School
Challenger Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 590 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 590 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 300 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #75.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 96.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sunnyside Unified District (4407) spends $9,713 per pupil, 26% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 32.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 155 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 590 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Tucson's middle schools, it stands alongside Apollo Middle School (480 students): Challenger Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19:1 vs 14.1:1).
Sunnyside Unified District (4407) also operates Sunnyside High School (2,258 students) and Desert View High School (2,102 students) alongside Challenger Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Challenger Middle School compares
Challenger Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 12% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.9% | ▲ 49% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 590 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
590
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 69% in Arizona - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
96.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,713
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 122 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 86.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.4%
White 3.6%
African American 3.6%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 86.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.3, Challenger Middle School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunnyside Unified District (4407), which includes Challenger Middle School.
$9,713
Per student
-26%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 48.9%
Federal 32.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Challenger Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sierra 2-8 School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gallego Intermediate Fine Arts Magnet School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elvira Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenger Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,258
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,102
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar middle schools in Tucson
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~590 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Sunnyside Unified District (4407)'s spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Challenger Middle School
How many students attend Challenger Middle School?
Challenger Middle School has 590 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle School is 19:1, which is 12% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenger Middle School?
71.9% of students at Challenger Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 86.1% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Middle School?
Challenger Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Challenger Middle School rank among middle schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle School ranks #16 of 25 middle schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Challenger Middle School a good school?
Challenger Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Sunnyside Unified District (4407)?
Besides Challenger Middle School, Sunnyside Unified District (4407) also operates Sunnyside High School (2,258 students), Desert View High School (2,102 students), and Sierra 2-8 School (801 students). See the Sunnyside Unified District (4407) district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.